Published 13th April 2023 by Headline Review.
From the cover of the book:
THREE WOMEN. ONE SECRET. AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY.
Zoe always knew this day would come. After all, no one can live for ever. She may not be ready, but Zoe knows the importance of goodbye - and how much it hurts when left unsaid - so it's time to return to her grandmother's home in Italy one last time. Even if that means deceiving her mum, Ange.
Harriet doesn't know where she fits anymore. It's not in Cornwall with the new family her mum is building, and it's certainly not in the job she hates. The trip to Italy may not be the adventure Zoe and Harriet promised themselves, but Harriet is simply not being left behind.
Ange was doing fine. Well, she was coping. Like she has been for the past fourteen years because her daughter needed her. But since her mother's death, nothing has felt fine. Even her relationship with Zoe is cracking at the seams.
Then, the last person any of them expects to see suddenly turns up, and soon it seems the only way to move forward is to revisit the past . . .
Explore the sun-drenched Italian countryside in this hilarious and heart-warming novel about unconditional love, second chances and the importance of not taking life for granted.
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Cornish wedding planner Zoe always thought that the vitality of her artist grandmother would keep her going for ever, so it hits her hard when the formidable Clarice finally passes away in her nineties. She is not the only one crushed by a tidal wave of grief - her mother Ange is struggling to cope too, and Zoe spends her time walking on egg shells around her, unconvinced by her protestations that she is 'fine'.
Clarice wished for her house in Italy to be cleared and her possessions auctioned off for charity after her death, but she had always promised Zoe her emerald engagement ring. Unfortunately, Zoe's boorish uncle Reggie is in charge of the arrangements and Zoe does not trust him one bit. She starts to think that the only solution might be to head out to Italy to look for the ring herself.
Zoe's best friend Harriet feels like she does not know where she belongs any more. She is fed up with her job as a hotel receptionist, and feels that her mother no longer wants her around now she has a new partner and baby. She and Zoe have been promising themselves an adventure for quite a while, so when Zoe suggest a trip to Italy, she is willing to drop everything at a moment's notice. What are best friends for after all?
Zoe has one more hurdle to negotiate. She is sure that her mother needs come too, so they can both say goodbye to the house that holds so many wonderful memories for them, but Ange refuses to even talk about the idea. Then a face from the past turns up out of the blue, and steam rollers them all into heading off to Italy...
Three Nights in Italy is a lovely combination of road trip adventure, buddy story, romantic extravaganza, and family drama, filled with moments that hit the emotional bitter-sweet spot. The central characters are all stuck in an 'everything is fine' rut, and it takes the loss of someone very dear to them all to make them address their unhappiness. There is a lot of baggage to be unpacked and sorted out between Ange and the person who arrives unexpectedly, and the only way they can deal with a painful situation is by going back in time to revisit the good times that made them close, and the bad times that broke their friendship apart. In parallel, Zoe and Harriet have preoccupations of their own to work through before they can find the courage to chase their dreams.
At the spine of the story is the impromptu trip to Italy, focusing on the search for the missing ring that was promised to Zoe. Beirne beautifully weaves threads about love, female friendship, romance, loss, and reconciliation through the adventure, which has moments of farcical caper to make you laugh, as well as poignant episodes to set you weeping - I did a lot of both while reading this book.
Beirne writes enchantingly about Italy, and the whole story thrums with evocative sights, sounds, and smells of the country - especially when it comes to food, wine, and the warmth of the people. Zoe and the gang worked their way into my heart, and I loved being with them on their emotional Italian journey.
Three Nights in Italy is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Headline for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Olivia Beirne is the bestselling author of The List That Changed My Life and lives in Buckinghamshire. She has worked as a waitress, a pottery painter and a casting assistant, but being a writer is definitely her favourite job yet.
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